Can cap with receptacle



June 1953 L. R. THEOBALD, SR 2,643,739

- CAN CAP WITH RECEPTACLE Filed D80. 2. 1949 Fig.

Inventor Louis R. Theaba/aLSr,

Patented June 30, 1953 CAN CAP WITH REoEP'rAoLE Louis Theobald, Sr., Hattiesburg, Miss, as-

signor of fifty per cent (50%) to James W.

McCleskey, Sr., Hattiesburg, 'Miss.

Application December 2, 1949, Serial No. 130,774

This. invention; comprises noveland useful improvements in caps for a lighter fluid can, and

more particularly pertains to a cap which has a lighter Servicing means.

An important object of this invention is to provide a cap for a lighter fluid can which detachably receives and retains lighter flints therein. l

An additional object of this invention is to provide a cap for a lighter fluid can which. can be utilized to remove the filler caps of ci a e lighters.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a cap for a lighter fluid can which receives and retains a flint therein, which cap can be utilized to remove the filler caps of cigarette lighters.

An important feature of this invention resides in the provision for recesses in the bottom surface of said cap, said recesses receiving flints therein.

Yet another feature of this invention resides in the provision for a platelike extremity on the cap, providing finger grip and screw removal means.

These, together with numerous ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the cap shown attached to a lighter fluid can.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the plane 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a top view of the cap.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the cap showing the flint receiving bores and the dispenser spout receiving means.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be seen, from a consideration of Figure 1, that the cap indicated generally by the numeral 10 provides a closure for a can indicated generally by the numeral l2 which can has a dispenser spout l4 mounted thereon.

As will be more readily understood from a consideration of Figures 2 and 4 the cap to has provided therein a recess [6 for receiving the dispenser spout l4, and thereby providing a closure for the can i2. Any means may be provided for retaining the cap l upon the spout M, such as the screw threaded means shown more as in Figure 2 It' ever, that any means such as keyed means may be satisfactorily used.

Secured to or formed as a partof the capv Ii) .is an upwardly projecting plate l3, which provides a fingergrip means for removing the cap 16 from the spout. I l, and also provides a screw.

removal means fol-removing the filler-plug or the flint plug in alighter. .As can. be readily --appreciated from a consideration of Figure 1,

the can i2 may well serve as a handle by which the screw driver means 18 may be actuated, and for this purpose the funnel receiving bore I 6 is preferably provided with means, such as keyed means so that the cap H! is not rotatable relative to the spout I 4.

The flint retaining member Zii, which may consist of a pivotally mounted plate, or a frangible sheet, as shown in Figure 2, retains the flints 22 within the flint receiving bores 24. Obviously any other suitable means may be provided, such as a resilient arcuately shaped strip in the flint bore 24. It is, however, not necessary that a separate flint retaining means be provided, but, as will be appreciated from a consideration of Figure l, the neck of the dispenser spout [4 may well be so proportioned that the lower surface of the cap III will rest upon the shoulder 25 of the dispenser spout M, the shoulder 25 providing the means for retaining the hints 22 within their bores 24. As most conventional lighter fluid cans are provided with shouldered dispenser spout M the shoulder portion of the spout 25 and the attached downwardly depending rim 26 providing the means for securing the dispenser spout I4 to the conventional can [2, it will be appreciated that an existing construction of the lighter fluid can is utilized to perform an additional function namely that of retaining lighter fluid fiints 2 2 within their bores 24.

The utility of the lighter fluid cap shown in the drawings, will be more fully appreciated when it is borne in mind that some type of screw driver is necessary each time the lighter is to be filled, and that the provision of a screw driver blade so as to be operable by use of the can as a handle, provides a compact means for opening and filling a cigarette lighter or the like. Similarly, whenever it is necessary to replace a flint in a lighter, some screw removing means is necessary and utilization of the combined can and screw driver provides a compact and efiicient device for servicing a cigarette lighter or the like.

From the foregoing, the construction and opis to be understood, how-l eration of the device are believed to be apparent, and further discussion is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing drawings and specification, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction which has been shown and described, and accordingly the principles of the invention are to be regarded as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A cap for a lighter fluid can comprising a. body having a bottom wall and an axial internally threaded dispenser spout receiving bore therein communicating with said bottom wall, said body having a lighter flint receiving passage therein communicating with said bottom wall, a.

flint in said passage, and a frangible member attached to said bottom wall and overlying said passage to retain said flint therein.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said frangible member overlies said spout receiving bore to protect the latter prior to the attachment of said cap on a lighter fluid dispenser spout.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a cap comprising a body having a central internally threaded blind bore therein for receivably engaging the neck of a lighter fluid can, said body also having a pair of parallel recesses disposed on opposite sides of the blind bore, said cap including a lower wall, said bore and recesses each having an entrance at the lower wall, and a frangible sheet secured on the lower wall across the entrances of said passages and said bore.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a cap comprising a body having a central internally threaded blind bore therein for receivably engaging the neck of a lighter fluid can, said body also having a pair of parallel recesses disposed on opposite sides of the blind bore, said cap including a lower wall, said bore and recesses each having an entrance at the lower wall, and means on the lower wall extending over and closing the entrances to said recesses and said bore.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said cap includes a flat tapered head portion forming a finger gripping means.

LOUIS R. THEOBALD, SR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Aug. 16, 1944 Number Number 

